THE KHANKAISKIY STATE NATURAL BIOSPHERE RESERVE: HISTORY AND CURRENT STATE

The Khankaiskiy Biosphere Reserve is located in the drainage basin of Lake Khanka in the Russian Far East. It is of great importance for the biodiversity conservation, especially bird biodiversity in the wetland landscapes under Ramsar Convention. The Khankaisky Reserve was established in 1990, and in 2005 it acquired the status of Biosphere Reserve. In 1986 on the adjacent Chinese territory in the northern part of the lake, the Xingkai-Hu Reserve was established, which received the status of Biosphere Reserve in 2007. An intergovernmental agreement on foundation of the Russian-Chinese Khanka Lake Reserve on the basis of the two Reserves was signed in 1996. The article contains information on the modern structure and functions of the Khankaiskiy Biosphere Reserve, and scientific research in the Reserve within the framework of international cooperation. Some geo-ecological problems in the Lake Khanka drainage basin, which affect the stability of the protected area ecosystems, are briefly discussed.